Professor Larry Speck Named to The Alcalde's Texas 10

Alumni of The University of Texas at Austin have honored UTSOA Distinguished Teaching Professor Larry Speck with a coveted position in The Alcalde's "Texas 10," a special group of faculty recognized for their inspiring teaching style. Larry appears in the May/June 2015 issue alongside nine other colleagues and peers. To read the interview with Larry, click here.

Larry Speck came to the School of Architecture in 1975 and served as dean from 1992 to 2001. He has maintained an active architectural practice since 1975, initially as Lawrence W. Speck Associates and, since 1999, as a principal in the firm, Page. His design work has been recognized by more than 100 national, state, and local design awards and has been published in more than 120 articles in the United States, England, Brazil, Italy, Japan, Turkey, China, and Germany. In 2011, he was awarded the prestigious ACSA/AIA Topaz Medallion--the highest honor in architectural education.

Recently, Larry was also featured in an accompanying article from The Alcalde, "The Best of College," in which one of his former students, Ian B. Robertson [BS ’12], paid homage to his professor:

"Professor Speck developed [a] sense of community from the get-go, showing us its power when applied to problems. His object was to show our class that creative people hardly work alone, and that most of them engage with some form of community that pushes their ideas to new heights. He encouraged the formation of study groups and reading partners, challenging us to apply the lessons to our lives and to the lives of those around us. Once the alchemy of friendships, case studies, and personal projects started brewing, the material began to click even more. We realized creativity was a force anyone could harness, and its potential could be multiplied by teamwork.

Years later I still marvel at the power of creativity and community in my own life. Not only do I continue to use the same creative processes I learned in that class, I have since worked with friends from that very class on personal projects outside of school and my post-graduate life. Speck’s passion for creativity, community, and the students in his life inspires me to this day. The results in my life manifest both in my problem solving abilities, as well as in my relationships."

Read more of Robertson's remarks here.